HS343-6-AP-CO:
Social, Emotional and Cognitive Communication
2026/27
Health and Social Care (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn & Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Future
Thursday 08 October 2026
Thursday 25 March 2027
30
15 July 2025
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BSC B630 Speech and Language Therapy,
BSC B631 Speech and Language Therapy (Including Year Abroad)
This module examines the wide range of developmental and acquired health conditions which lead to social, emotional and cognitive-communication abilities and needs across the lifespan. This module considers communication abilities and needs beyond the discrete entities of ‘speech’ and ‘language’. Specifically, it focusses on: 1) neurodivergence across the lifespan such as autism, ADHD and learning disability; 2) cognitive-communication needs due to acquired brain injury and progressive neurological conditions such as dementia and traumatic brain injury; and 3) the communication abilities and needs of those with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar and the bi-directional relationship between communication needs and mental health co-morbidities.
Relevant assessment and intervention methods will be explored in detail, including the critical evaluation and professional reasoning skills required to evaluate underlying abilities and deliver both evidence-based and person-centred practice. This module also explores wider contextual issues such as the legal, ethical and values-based frameworks within which speech and language therapists work, paying particular attention to supported decision-making and mental capacity legislation. Finally, in addition to considering the impact of mental health on service user’s communication and wellbeing, this module includes teaching on self-care and emotional wellbeing for newly qualified speech and language therapists in line with HCPC standards of proficiency.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide students with an understanding of the broad scope of social, emotional and cognitive-communication abilities and needs across the lifespan arising as a result of health conditions such as neurodivergence, learning disability, mental health, brain injury and dementia.
- To enable students to engage with and critically appraise the evidence base regarding relevant assessment and intervention methods for individuals with social, emotional and cognitive-communication abilities and needs.
- To support students to apply problem-solving skills in order to link the relevant speech and language therapy evidence base to patient preference in the context of social, emotional and cognitive-communication abilities and needs.
- To enable students to apply legal, ethical and value-based frameworks relevant to the profession of speech and language therapy.
- To highlight and promote the need for speech and language therapists to maintain physical, mental and wellbeing strategies.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Describe the wide range of developmental and acquired health conditions which lead to social, emotional and cognitive communication abilities and needs.
- Apply SLTs’ observation and assessment techniques and current published research evidence to identify social, emotional and cognitive communication abilities and needs across the lifespan.
- Interpret and evaluate social, emotional, and cognitive communication assessments.
- Discuss the professional reasoning employed in choice of social, emotional and cognitive communication assessment.
- Discuss the professional reasoning employed in the identification of social, emotional, and cognitive communication abilities and needs.
- Explain intervention models and synthesise them with SLT techniques in managing service users’ social, emotional and cognitive communication needs to enhance communication across the lifespan.
- Plan person-centred, evidence-based interventions with, for, or on behalf of service users with social, emotional and cognitive communication needs.
- Select and apply appropriate outcome monitoring for social, emotional, and cognitive communication abilities and needs.
- Explain the legal, ethical and value-based frameworks within which SLTs work.
Professional body requirements
In order to meet accreditation requirements, students will be required to meet the HCPC SLT Standards of Proficiency. The HCPC SLT Standards of Proficiency can be found on following webpage:
https://www.hcpc-uk.org/standards/standards-of-proficiency/speech-and-language-therapists/
Syllabus information
The indicative content for this module is as follows:
- Attention and memory assessment and interventions
- Assessment of social communication
- Autism identification
- ADHD and SLT role
- Complex needs assessment
- Children’s learning disability assessment and management
- Adult learning disability
- FASD
- Cerebral palsy
- PMLD
- Dementia, assessment and interventions
- Introduction to TBI and cognitive-communication difficulties
- TBI and CCD Assessment and Interventions
- Mental health in children and in adults
- SLT role in assessment and management of mental health communication and swallow in children and in adult mental health conditions
- Supported decision-making and mental capacity assessment
This module will be delivered via:
Students are expected to undertake the reading before classes and be prepared to engage in discussion.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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